July 25th One Year Bible Readings

2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14 ~ Romans 9:1-24 ~ Psalm 19:1-14 ~ Proverbs 20:1
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~ Listen to today's Scripture on DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) or OneYearAudioBible.org ~

Old Testament - Today in 2 Chronicles chapter 14 we read about the early year's of King Asa's reign, including his incredible prayer to God in verse 11!  "Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, "O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!"  Unfortunately by the end of our readings today, in chapter 16, we read about Asa falling away from God and relying on a foreign king and physicians without any prayer for healing from God.  He replaced God in his life with mere men.  I wonder how often we do this in our lives today?  Can you think of any times in your life where you have relied on people in the place of relying on God?  How did that work out?  I do think we can rely on people certainly - if we are also relying on God more so and if God is in the midst of the relationship with the people we are relying on.  I think all would have gone well with King Asa in his later years if he had only been taught this motto that we teach our kids today: "Be a FROG!"  :)  Fully Rely On God!  What about you in your life today?  Are you a FROG?  :)  Let us all be FROG's!

(apologies for the silly start to this posting today... :) don't worry, I get more serious by the time we get to Proverbs as you'll see below...)

New Testament - Powerful readings from Paul today in Romans chapter 9!  In verse 5 we read one of the clearest statements in the New Testament about the deity of Jesus!  "Their ancestors were great people of God, and Christ himself was a Jew as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen."  Paul says here that Jesus is God!  So, what say you?  Is Jesus God?

A portion of verse 6 made me think about Christians today: "Not everyone born into a Jewish family is truly a Jew!" Do you think that everyone born into a Christian family today is truly a Christian?  I know our various denominations will have various degrees / times / ceremonies that will mark becoming a Christian.  But I think many of us would agree that just because you are born into a Christian family doesn't mean that you are necessarily Christian.  Meaning, I think there has to come a time in each of our lives where we consciously believe in faith that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.  We need to own our faith at some point - not just be a "cultural" Christian because that's what our family and friends are.  I believe at some point in our life we need to enter into relationship with God through his son Jesus through faith.  Let us pray for our friends and family members who are perhaps currently "cultural" Christians.  Let us pray that they will enter into a loving and growing relationship with God through Jesus.  Side note - I was prayed into the Kingdom by some amazing friends!  (thanks Chad & Becky & Becky & others!)  It is true.  Prayer for your friends and family is powerful.  Please pray for them tonight...

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Man Opposes; God Disposes" is at this link and "Divine Election is Questioned" is at this link.

Psalms - Today we read Psalm 19, which is one of my favorite Psalms! In large part this Psalm is one of my favorites because one of my former pastors taught from this Psalm 3 a few years ago in such a powerful way. Have you had this type of experience? Where you hear a sermon on a chapter of the Bible and then that chapter becomes one of your favorites? I do hope that this One Year Bible experience will allow you to tune-in a little bit more whenever you hear your pastors or ministers or priests teaching you from the Bible in church. I know this is the case with me. Thanks to reading the Bible each day, I now have better context of what is being taught from the pulpit and it makes going to church a richer experience overall. I also now often catch some Bible verses in the worship songs or hymns we sing as well. And this adds a lot to my worship of God now through music. This year, as you go through the One Year Bible and as you go to church, will you tune-in to the sermons and the songs in church more than ever and look for and appreciate how they tie in to the Bible?

Back to Psalm 19 – I do encourage everyone to really read through and meditate on every verse in this Psalm of David and how this Psalm might be speaking to you this week. Please do take a few minutes to go through the Psalm twice if possible and really reflect upon it. You may even want to journal to God some thoughts or ideas or prayers that come to you through reading this Psalm. I find verse 14 in this Psalm to be so powerful – again in large part because one of my former pastors often sang a worship song that simply repeats this verse over and over again – and what a beautiful prayer it is for each of us to repeat over and over again as well: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Are the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart pleasing in God’s sight? Is God your Rock? Is God your Redeemer?

Proverbs - Proverbs 20 verse 1 today reminds me of the need for and success of modern day Alcoholics Anonymous - "Wine produces mockers; liquor leads to brawls. Whoever is led astray by drink cannot be wise."  I don't have personal experience with AA, but have heard very good things about it from several friends.  I do love the AA Serenity Prayer - I think this prayer is a great prayer for all of us - "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference."  Amen. 

While I'm on the subject of alcohol, since the Bible brought it up and all :), mind if I go on a bit of a tangent on this subject?  Thanks.  :)  I would be very interested to hear others views / experiences with alcohol in their lives in the Comments below.  (I know that some of our denominations have very different views on alcohol.)  I'll share with you here that I struggled with alcohol abuse big time in my teens and early 20's. Certainly this Proverb was true in my case - wine produced a mocker out of me.  Liquor led to brawls - oftentimes more psychological brawls than physical.  And certainly I don't think I had the ability to be wise back in the days when I was led astray by excessive drink.  Very frankly, I nearly drank myself to death the night before I graduated college.  Alcohol poisoning / a black out got a hold of me that night.  I'll spare you all the details, other than to say that after my near-death experience with alcohol, I knew I had a decision to make.  Keep going the way I was going and I would die.  Or go another direction.  I didn't quite know what that other direction was or would look like, but I knew I had to go in the other direction away from alcohol / the party life.  And thankfully God led me to Him.  It took me 6 years of searching from the night I almost drank myself to death to the night when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, but it was the most important journey to undertake in my life.  (The journey to Jesus is the most important journey in all of our lives...)  So, yes, alcohol can be a dangerous thing, to say the least.  I do know many Christians who do not / never have really struggled with it.  I don't fault anyone for drinking in moderation.  (These days I do have a drink in social settings very infrequently.)  I just know that many people reading this blog likely struggle with or know someone who struggles with alcohol.  All I know is that if alcohol is something that you are "allergic" to, stay away from it.  Don't touch it.  Get into AA if tomorrow if you need to.  (please... do it if you need to...)  Let each of us never forget this Proverb 20:1 - "Wine produces mockers; liquor leads to brawls. Whoever is led astray by drink cannot be wise."

Worship God:  As we're reading Psalm 19 today, I think it's appropriate to share this "God of Wonders" video with Third Day and Caedmon's Call!

Do you know our God of Wonders?  Click here for Wonder!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

Comments

[Ramona]

II Chronicles 14:1-16:15

Warning, warning, warning! This is what I see in the life of Asa, a warning. Asa ruled forty-one years and of those years it seems thirty-four, possibly thirty-five Asa relied, and trusted in God. But then … Why did Asa turn and trust in the treasury of silver and gold that had been acquired because he trusted in God?

A little over 85% of his reign was a good reign. He stopped running a good race after God as he got closer to the finish line. Why did he stop?

May we not follow Asa’s example and give up and give out as we approach the finish line. Take a clue from the Apostle Paul,

For I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time for me to depart is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith! Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day — and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on his appearing.
(2Ti 4:6-8 NET)

Romans 9:1-24

O to have the heart for my people as Paul does for his. To grieve over those who are lost. But Paul is grieving for a people who have been given the Truth and rejected it. Giving people a precious gift and having them reject it must break the heart of God. He gave us Jesus Christ, a gift, but many after having known Him, like King Asa reject the free gift of God and turn and rely on our own strength or the strength of our substance, which belongs to God anyway ‘cause He made everything. .

Psalm 19:1-14

Yes Mike this is a sweet Psalm. Verses seven through eight are awesome and give instructions on finding ones’ true identity, for emotional and mental healing, wisdom, completeness and wholeness, insight and what so many people search for but is always elusive, joy. We look for significance in what we can afford, the people we think we know and our jobs and level of education; but David writes that all that can be found in obeying the commands and commandments of the Lord.

Proverbs 20:1

WINE IS a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; and whoever errs or reels because of it is not wise.
(Pro 20:1 AMP)

This very interesting Proverb deserves to be looked at in many ways. You can either look at wine and strong drink, in this passage, literarily, figuratively and/or symbolically.

I know a young man, a youth minister who used this Proverb as a foundation scripture for speaking to youth about sex and the “pick-up” lines guys and girls use to get it. He divides those seeking to fulfill their sexual desires into two categories, wine folk and beer or hard alcohol folk. One is cunning and smooth in their approach and the other is in your face and out there being upfront in what they want. To give in based on the type of approach and not on the commands of God is all the same in the end. You find yourself falling down, stinking drunk from the effects of a mind altering and defense lowering individual.

[John A.]

Going to repost a post from yesterday, because it was late, and it is IMPORTANT. Why?

It is my belief that too many true believers get frustrated in their Christian walk. They try to obey and follow the Lord, but they stumble way too often. Consequently, the stumbling believer gets dejected and thinks he has failed God. They feel INADEQUATE.

The truth is: WE ARE INADEQUATE. We need to realize God is in charge. This is all about Him, and if we humble ourselves and submit in our walk, and trust God to lead us, we will fare much better in our walk. When we fail, and we will, just go to the Father and ask for parental forgiveness, and know that He loves us and will honor our attitude of submission. This is God's work, and I believe we would all be better off as believers if we would just let God be God.

The following post shows how emphatically God is in charge through all steps of a believer from before time began to the final glorification. I think God is big enough to get the job done.

[John A.]

Romans 8:22-39
[continued]

Passages on Assurance

Rom 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."

I have heard a lot of arguments about these verses. Watched them discussed in debates from youtube, google, etc. The verses are not corrupt as every ancient text scholar, secular or theistic, agrees the Greek text is undertandable. It says what it says. what does it say?

The verb tenses in Greek for foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified are in aorist active indicative. So what?

Aorist active indicative indicates a completed action. Either done in a moment or over time. May be in the past, but does not have to be - so really a sense of timelessness.

It is an action, and God is the subject. God is doing each of these verb actions. If it is God and it is completed with a sense of timelessness, then it is truth.

God foreknew, God predestines, God calls, God justifies, and God glorifies.

This is called the "golden chain", and since God is doing the action and it is true - it cannot be broken.

This whole thing is about God, and not about us. God chooses, God saves, and God will develop our Christian walk.

Some say this is not so. They do not claim it is 50/50 God and man. They like to say it is !00% God and 100% man. Problem with that is - if this is about God's glory and God does not share His glory (IS 42:8 and 48:11), then we have no role other than to submit as Christ did while He was here on earth. (After all Christ is our model is He not?}
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If God is in charge of each of our steps, and actually knew us before time began - If God sacrificed himself for us - if God has adopted us as His children when we believe -

then who can break that bond between us and God. Satan, humans, the believer - the answer: No one.

What God starts He finishes, no one can take us from His hand, God is big enough to do the job.

[John A.]

Romans 9:1-24

Next three chapters discuss Israel past, present, and future in regards to salvation.

Israel had many advantages from God: the Law, prophets, the temple, God's personal touch on the country, Christ coming in the line of David, etc.

Yet not all Israel is saved. Individuals become believers, but not every one born a Jew is saved, they have to be children of faith.

For being saved has nothing to do with bloodlines, nor what you do good or bad.
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Example is Jacob and Esau.

9:11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

They both had the same father, and before anything was done in their lives - good or bad. One was picked and one was not picked. Why?

God chooses. That is in the repost from yesterday. We are all in rebellion, and if God did not intervene to soften one's heart - No One would choose God. The ones in rebellion are enemies of God, and at war with God. That is what He hates, and why Esau is hated. Esau is in rebellion.

There is really nothing to love about Jacob, but He is chosen. God will progress Jacob through the chain in repost and sees Jacob as the end product. Jacob is a child of God, and as such the Father loves Jacob as any Father would his child.

You may not like this, but who are we to judge the Creator of the Universe's motives. God is infinite and at least twelve dimensions. How can a finite human of three dimensions understand how God operates. We can't.

We can only understand God as much as He reveals Himself to us through His Word. It will all make sense in the end, and we as believers will be filled in, but until then all we need to know is God chooses - period.

God softens hearts of the believer before they are saved, and we are drawn to Him. Perhaps the holding back of judgment on sinners, and great patience of God draws us to Him. Paul suggests that point.
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People against the idea of election get really upset at the things I say, and I am sorry they feel that way. However, no one ever shows me a consistent way to view the Bible where election is ruled out. They just don't like it. It is not fair. The question one has to ask themselves if they do not like the idea of a sovereign God choosing His people is: Why do you feel that way? Is it because it is not the way you would do it? (see potter clay argument).

Election does not keep me from evangelism: it does not keep me from sharing the Gospel, nor from reaching out to all kinds of people, because God commanded us to share the Gospel (Great Commission).

Secondly, I go about the sharing, because I HAVE NO IDEA who God has chosen. If the world is a stage, and this is God's play, I may know the outline of the plot (Bible-Genesis to Revelation), but I do not know the cast of characters who is a believer, and who is a non-believer). I just trust that God will choose perfectly, and am forever thankful that He chose me to be his adopted child and co-heir to heaven. It took forty eight years, and I did nothing to deserve it - it was by God's grace and mercy that I came to Christ.

[ellen rutledge]

hi mike just a word about aa i've been sober for 3 yearsnow . after 29 of drinking it's such a mircle i still have bouts with depression i feel mutch than i did the last time ileft a comment.yes psalms help me alot when i first got sober.

[John A.]

Alcohol

I will go ahead and share this - from the age of 19 until 41 I drank about 3/4 a bottle of liquor a day on average or the equivalent of beer. It is an average because usually I used Sunday to recover by sleeping 20+ hours. I did it to numb myself to my insecurities, to diastract me from the real world, and to release me from inhibitions when approaching women.

One day, I woke up with no desire for alcohol, nor my desire to gamble (another addiction). Since that day twelve+ years ago, I have not had a drink, nor placed a wager. Nor Have I had the desire to do so.

Looking back on it, I realize God took those addictions away. However, because of my desire to be just left alone in life - God allowed me to be alone for the next seven years.

I went from clinical depression to near psychotic, and was suicidal, panic stricken, and a complete mess showering once a week and washing clothes once a month unable to go into any public place without becoming a whimpering, shaking fool with extreme anxiety attacks.

On the week before Easter in 2004, I was watching the Zefferelli film on Jesus. I had spent the three previous months trying to disprove the Bible, and when I could not, I started reading the Bible as if it was true. (Afterall. Why can't the Creator of the Universe have a book?) During the movie I muted the sound, and began to pray to God. At first quietly, then I was screaming, admitting I was a sinner, asking for forgiveness, and admitting i could not run my life so would He do it. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Only i know what happened in that room, but the Holy Spirit entering me was palpable. I went to bed at peace knowing I was saved.

I woke up with my depression lifted (gone), panic attacks gone, all my anger gone (to this day), and my addiction to profanity (from Sports, Navy, Wall Street, etc.) gone. I have not said a curseword since being saved. You would have to know me before to know that this is probably the most remarkable thing on the list.

Went to doctors and they said no way could I have snapped out of that depression without drugs and therapy, unless I had received a cathartic shock to the brain (duh, God can't do that?). My insides are perfect, and my IQ is ten points higher than it was in college.

When my Lord and Savior did this for me, is it any doubt why I keep harping on believers putting all their trust in God???????

[John A.]

2 Chronicles 14-16:14

15: VERSE 13

1. They had good intentions, seeking the Lord as a nation, but they went to far when they put to death those who refused to turn to God. You can't legislate a love for God or force people to love God. What happens if you threaten people like this is that they will say they love the Lord to protect themselves when they really don't mean it. You can't force anyone to love God nor can you legislate a love for God. It is not a matter of the law but a matter of the heart!
http://www.ccmanitowoc.org/Library/Guglielmo-Joe/Studies/TH/14-2CH/TH1060.HTM
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2 Chronicles 16

"What we will see tonight is that Asa's life parallels his great grandfather's, Solomon's. Solomon started out young and inexperienced and asked God for wisdom to lead His people by. He looked to the Lord for strength UNTIL he grew strong and wealthy. And the reason he grew strong was because he was focused on the Lord, but he took his focus off the Lord and placed it upon himself as he grew confident in his own strength. That was a big mistake. Asa is going to follow in those same footsteps towards the end of his life. He will take his eyes off the Lord and place it on the strength of man, and that is his downfall. They both did the opposite of what they should have been doing, looking to the Lord for their strength."

16 VERSE 2

1. "What a contrast we see in what Asa did here versus what he did when the Ethiopians had him outnumbered. Then he trusted in the Lord, but now we see him trust in man. He is in trouble and he has no place to turn, so he turns to man. What happened? During those years of peace Asa did not cultivate a deep relationship with the Lord, but focused on his outward strength. Thus, his actions are born out of a empty spirit. Because of that Asa takes the treasuries of God and gives them to Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, an unbeliever, to help him with his problems.

2. You never make an alliance with the enemy, you never ask them to assist you, no matter how bad the situation is. Asa started out strong, his reforms were good, but he faded at the end of his life. That tells me that it doesn't really matter how long you have walked with the Lord, the enemy never gives up, and thus, we can not let our guard down, even at the end of our life!"
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16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war."

VERSE 9

1. "This verse is important to us because it tells us that God wants to use us. He is looking for people to work through. The key here is not how strong we are, just that we are available. God wants to show Himself strong through what He does through us. You see, we don't have to have degrees, be intelligent, be wealthy, be good looking, be tall or short, big or small, strong or weak, just available to be used by Him."

VERSES 11-12

1. "Asa becomes sick in his feet and the intimation here is that if he would have sought the Lord he would have been healed, but instead he went to the world for his help. Now we should come before the Lord even with our physical problems, but God is not saying that physicians are evil and we should not go to them. The tragedy is that many people read this verse and come to that wrong conclusion and believe that they should never go to physicians. That is wrong. The thing that God is illustrating here is that this had become the pattern of Asa's life, of not trusting in the Lord and trusting in the arm of man for his strength. God uses physicians to help us to heal us. When I go to the doctor I pray that God would give the doctor wisdom in treating my illness. When people go to surgery I pray that God would guide the surgeons hands. You see, my faith is in the Lord and He uses all of us for various things, He can also use physicians as His instrument to help people, and He does!

2. Asa's walk with the Lord had been hampered. Why? Because his feet had become diseased. He no longer had that intimate relationship with the Lord and his spiritual walk was hindered by this. The same can happen in our own walk with the Lord, be sensitive to that fact!"
http://www.ccmanitowoc.org/Library/Guglielmo-Joe/Studies/TH/14-2CH/TH1061.HTM